Hitch vs Hitch

[porboy]

Ok, just bought a new trailer. Now which hitch to buy? Bushtec or frame mount sold on e-bay. One says never mount hitch to frame, Why? Another says frame mounted is more secure. Why?

Any help out there?

Thanks

[Firefly]

Ok, just bought a new trailer. Now which hitch to buy? Buschtec or frame mount sold on e-bay. One says never mount hitch to frame, Why? Another says frame mounted is more secure. Why?

Any help out there?

Thanks

No serious hitch maker mounts to the frame - NONE . It will cause more wear and tear on the swingarm and bearings as it's mounted on the wrong side of the suspension. Every bump you hit the swingarm flexes up and down - and so will your trailer. This will eventually cause metal fatigue.

Spend them $$$ and get the Bushtec - they specialize in hitches and trailers. The e-bay guy is just a general metal-worker and his design is 100% flawed.

Bushtec - no question about it. I also believe they are the only ones with the optional electric harness.

[porboy]

Thanks for the feed back..

[NancysToy]

There seems to be some confusion here. Bushtec and most other hitches are frame mounted. The Mel's hitch is swingarm mounted. Frame mounting is the best, IMO. Safe, proven, and conventional. Spreads the load of the trailer to the entire vehicle. The swingarm hitches have created a lot of questions about reliability of the bearings and bushings, and about loads to the swingarm. I have not heard first hand of any failures or problems, but I am leery from an engineering point of view. I would not design something this way. On the other hand, the conventional hitches can interfere with saddlebag mounting. You could have to modify one to make bags work, or buy the Corbin hitch and bags. Choice is yours, you will need to make your own decision, based on your needs and point of view.

[porboy]

Thanks Scotty. I guess it's going to be a bushtec.

[BajaRon]

There seems to be some confusion here. Bushtec and most other hitches are frame mounted. The Mel's hitch is swingarm mounted. Frame mounting is the best, IMO. Safe, proven, and conventional. Spreads the load of the trailer to the entire vehicle. The swingarm hitches have created a lot of questions about reliability of the bearings and bushings, and about loads to the swingarm. I have not heard first hand of any failures or problems, but I am leery from an engineering point of view. I would not design something this way. On the other hand, the conventional hitches can interfere with saddlebag mounting. You could have to modify one to make bags work, or buy the Corbin hitch and bags. Choice is yours, you will need to make your own decision, based on your needs and point of view.

100%. Frame mount is the way to got (Bushtec). Even if the swingarm mount never fatigued or failed it puts a lot of stress on parts that move all the time and are not designed for it. It is hard on your Spyder and the trailer.

[porboy]

Thanks for all the info, ordered a Buchtec About four weeks out for delivery.

Thanks again.

[BajaRon]

Thanks for all the info, ordered a Buchtec About four weeks out for delivery.

Thanks again.

The wait is a bummer. And you will probably never get to compare the two designs side by side. And you will even get users of the Swing Arm Mount type saying they love them.

But you will be so much better off doing this right. Trailers on a motorcycle are nothing to sneeze at. Done right the trailer is a neutral factor most of the time, an advatage in some situations and as minimal a negative as possible in as few situations as possible.

That is what the Bushtec hitch is so good at doing.

The Spyder is a natural for a trailer. Glad to hear you're doing it right!

[Big Arm]

Thanks for all the info, ordered a Buchtec About four weeks out for delivery.

Thanks again.

I ordered mine a week ago. I guess if I can wait ten months for the Spyder, I can wait three more for my bushtec hitch.

[Spyder#353]

Bustec sent me my hitch ahead of the trailer. It's in for chrome plating now. My trailer is supposed to be shipped on 8/7/09 with my fingers crossed. I will have it next week.

[ameobe]

I went with this one http://www.customcruiserchrome.com/brp. 800 miles & no problems so far.
It did however take some time to get across the border.

[effgjamis]

To add a little note about hitch's..
I just finished an almost 6,000 trip using the Bustec hitch. and Not a hitch occured in its use im pulling my 28 cubic foot tear drop trailer... Needless to say if not frame mounted, be aware to swing arm failure and besides frame mount gives better and more stable trailer control. My statement is of course MHO..

[Lonewolf]

Does anyone know of a hitch that is designed to mount on the frame and can still use the BRP GIVI saddle bags. Corbin uses a Bushtec hitch but will only work with there bags, and Bushtec's and Custom Cruiser Chrome hitches will not work with the GIVI Bags.

Other then waiting to see if the hitch on the new RT will work on the GS/RS models, does anyone have any suggestions.

Thanks RG

[dave01]

Does anyone know of a hitch that is designed to mount on the frame and can still use the BRP GIVI saddle bags. Corbin uses a Bushtec hitch but will only work with there bags, and Bushtec's and Custom Cruiser Chrome hitches will not work with the GIVI Bags.

Other then waiting to see if the hitch on the new RT will work on the GS/RS models, does anyone have any suggestions.

Thanks RG

Same thing I have been looking for. I am going to my welder tomorrow and see if he can come up with something, using the bag mounting points.

[retread]

I've seen 1 Spyder with Ind7 hardware and a hitch, I think it came from HitchUSA, but needed mods to fit. I'll know more later when snow brings heavy mod time, I'll be putting a hitch on mine.

john

[WaltH]

I agree with everything said here about the problems with a swingarm mounted hitch, however, isn't the new hitch for the RT swingarm mounted? I think it is.

[dave01]

I agree with everything said here about the problems with a swingarm mounted hitch, however, isn't the new hitch for the RT swingarm mounted? I think it is.

Sure is. Thats how I am going to have mine made.

[Lonewolf]

Sure is. Thats how I am going to have mine made.

Hello Dave01

Well was your welder able to come up with something similar to the one on the RT, if so would he be willing to make 2 and sell 1 to me??.

Thanks Ron

[Firefly]

As I understand it - the new BRP hitch used on the RT has a dampening system on it that takes care of the concerns of mounting to the swingarm.

I believe it can be used with our current model Spyders.

[dave01]

Hello Dave01

Well was your welder able to come up with something similar to the one on the RT, if so would he be willing to make 2 and sell 1 to me??.

Thanks Ron

He has all of the dimensions and will be working on it this week. We talked about leaving just enough room between the channels to run a rubber pad to prevent scraping the swingarm and damaging the finish. I figure a week and he should have a working one made.

[Putt-Putt]

I agree with everything said here about the problems with a swingarm mounted hitch, however, isn't the new hitch for the RT swingarm mounted? I think it is.

But all said and done I'd go with the Bush Tec. For all of the reasons stated on swing arm ,bearing stress etc. It has been time tested ,and how long & how much testing was done by BRP.? When just a year ago they were against pulling a trailer. I wouldn't want another update.

[BajaRon]

Personally, I'm very surprised that BRP has chosen to go with a swing arm mount hitch. No amount of rubber isolation is going to adequately counter the effects of an unsuspended attachment.

I can understand that cost and ease of fabrication plus the lack of interferance with bags, etc., are tempting reasons for this approach to a trailer hitch. But the negatives would seem to override the positives in this case.

It will be interesting to see how this pans out in the long run.

[Lonewolf]

But all said and done I'd go with the Bush Tec. For all of the reasons stated on swing arm ,bearing stress etc. It has been time tested ,and how long & how much testing was done by BRP.? When just a year ago they were against pulling a trailer. I wouldn't want another update.

And that problem is I have the GIVI R-35 bags and the Bushtec does not work with the saddle bags.

[Lonewolf]

And that problem is I have the GIVI R-35 bags and the Bushtec does not work with the saddle bags.

I contacted Bushtec and they will fab one for me with the saddle bags for $379 which is a great price but I'm in Albuquerque and there in Tennessee which is about 1500 miles away. They said they could have it done in 2 or 3 days. I just can't do a 3000 mile trip right now.

RG

[Putt-Putt]

I contacted Bushtec and they will fab one for me with the saddle bags for $379 which is a great price but I'm in Albuquerque and there in Tennessee which is about 1500 miles away. They said they could have it done in 2 or 3 days. I just can't do a 3000 mile trip right now.

RG

There is always good old UPS.

ps. I also have the Givi bag setup from Ind. 7